1 Corinthians 14:36-38 Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38 But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.
Some interpreters see a break in topic with v. 36, which supposedly shows the isolation of vv. 34-35 on women being silent. Since Paul is summarizing his key ideas in these closing verses of the chapter, it seems more the case that vv. 34-35 pick up his earlier thought after referring to one specific example of the problem. Now he reviews the key issue in another way by asking two rhetorical questions. The questions in v. 36 should cause the Corinthians to rethink the work of the Holy Spirit among them. The Holy Spirit does not gift people for their own selfish boasting of spiritual prowess or maturity. They Corinthians who speak in tongues or other manifestations of the Spirit do not have special privileges about insights into the nature of God or God’s will. Rather, their display of such gifts only shows how they misunderstand God purposes for the church. The tendency in a situation like this is for people to think that their way of doing things is the best or only way and that everyone else is wrong or at least not as spiritual as they.
Verse 37 is a challenge to the church to verify the truth of what Paul has said in this chapter. A genuine prophet who is genuinely filled with the Spirit will support what Paul says. The assumption is that anyone who disagrees with Paul does not have Spirit-filled insight into the situation. Paul is subtly claiming his authority here as one who has heard the Lord’s command. He has apostolic authority and deep insight into the truth of the gospel and how it should be lived out in the church. Verse 38 is a challenging verse, almost a threat. For Paul, the situation is significant and must be dealt with because the unity of the church and the effectiveness of the mission to the work are at stake. The Corinthians need to respond in the right way so that they can grow into spiritual maturity and be the church God intends them to be.
Sometimes the stakes are high when it comes to problems in the church. This chapter reveals an issue in Corinth that Paul took very seriously. It is not easy to understand all of the nuanced argument in this chapter but the principles continue to shine forth: the Holy Spirit gifts people so that the church can be built up. Everything in the church must be done orderly and in such a way that unbelievers can hear and respond to the gospel and put their faith in Jesus .
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